It took a squad of officers from five police cars more than an hour to subdue a knife-wielding man, a court heard yesterday.

Raymond Zammit, 41, from Qormi, was heard shouting in St Sebastian square in his hometown on Thursday at around 8pm.

He was holding a knife when a uniformed officer, Constable Alfred Chetcuti, approached him, sources close to the case said.

The officer tried to calm him down but Mr Zammit managed to take his pepper spray and ran into the streets around the square.

Plain-clothed constable Charles Dingli tried to intervene but Mr Zammit used the spray on both officers and a boy standing nearby before back-up arrived.

Looking dishevelled and with large bruises on his face, Mr Zammit denied assault, violently resisting arrest, illegally carrying a knife, slightly injuring PC Chetcuti and PC Dingli, disobeying orders and breaching the peace.

Legal aid lawyer Cedric Mifsud said his client alleged the officers beat him up and asked for a court-appointed doctor to examine him, even though the police had taken him to the health centre.

He added that Mr Zammit was under psychiatric care.

Dr Mifsud did not request bail and Magistrate Francesco Depasquale recommended keeping Mr Zammit at the Forensic Unit in Mount Carmel hospital.